Towards a Discussion about the Causes of the Russian Revolution and the Standard of Living in the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries

The article is devoted to the discussion between «pessimists» and «optimists» about the causes of the Russian revolution of 1917-1922. «Pessimists» traditionally believe that the main reason for the revolution was the low standard of living of the masses. «Optimists» argue that the economy of the Russian Empire progressed rapidly, and the level of consumption gradually increased. The next stage in this discussion was the book by B. N. Mironov «Russian Modernization and Revolution» published in 2019. In the new book, B.N. Mironov declares the development of Russia an «economic miracle» and cites 12 signs of this «miracle». In 2022, the Sociological History magazine held a round table discussion on Mironov's book and published the author's responses to critical statements made in the same issue. The article is devoted to the analysis of this criticism and the answers of the author of the book. It is shown that Mironov's argumentation is largely based on the use of unreliable yield statistics and an erroneous interpretation of the results of anthropometric measurements.

Russia, late 19th - early 20th century, causes of the Russian revolution, rates of economic development, discussion of «optimists» and «pessimists», standard of living, consumption level, anthropometric data